What is Buckethead's net worth?
Buckethead is a renowned musician, songwriter, and instrumentalist known for his innovative electric guitar playing and genre-mixing abilities. His net worth is estimated to be $4 million. He's often recognized by his iconic performance with a 14-piece KFC bucket on his head, which inspired his nickname. While he primarily excels as a solo artist, he has also collaborated with several notable musicians. These include Iggy Pop, Bill Moseley, Bootsy Collins, Serj Tankian, Les Claypool, and others. He gained wider attention as a member of Guns N' Roses from 2000 to 2004, playing lead guitar on the album "Chinese Democracy" and performing live during 2001 and 2002. Throughout his prolific career, Buckethead has recorded over 600 studio albums.
Early Life and Career Beginnings
Born Brian Patrick Carroll in 1969 in Pomona, California, to Nancy and Tom, Buckethead grew up as the youngest of five siblings—Lynn, Lisa, Lori, and John. Carroll was introverted and often spent his time with games, toys, books, or making frequent visits to Disneyland. He started playing the guitar at age 12, initially learning from a neighbor and later taking professional lessons. In 1988, after watching "Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers," Carroll adopted the Buckethead persona by donning a Michael Myers mask and a chicken bucket as a homage.
Initially, Carroll was part of the band Class-X. After leaving the band, he entered a Guitar Player magazine contest, achieving second place. In 1989, he was honorably mentioned in another song contest. Carroll subsequently released the demo tapes "Giant Robot" and "Bucketheadland Blueprints" before debuting his first studio album, "Bucketheadland," in 1992 on John Zorn's Japanese Avant label. He later became a staple guitar player for bassist and producer Bill Laswell, who had also collaborated with John Zorn.
Praxis and Further Albums
In 1992, Carroll formed the experimental rock group Praxis with Laswell, Bernie Worrell, Bryan Mantia, and Bootsy Collins. Their debut album, "Transmutation (Mutatis Mutandis)," was released that same year. Carroll remained a consistent member of Praxis until their disbandment in 2011, missing only two releases.
In 1994, Carroll released "Dreamatorium" under the alias Death Cube K and "Giant Robot," featuring artists like Bill Moseley and Iggy Pop. His subsequent albums included "The Day of the Robot," "Disembodied," "Colma," and "Monsters and Robots." The 1999 release of "Monsters and Robots," a collaboration with Les Claypool, became Carroll's best-selling album and featured his first music video for the song "The Ballad of Buckethead." During the early 2000s, he released numerous albums such as "Somewhere Over the Slaughterhouse," "Funnel Weaver," "Bermuda Triangle," "Electric Tears," and "Bucketheadland 2." In 2004, he put out "Island of Lost Minds," "Population Override," and "The Cuckoo Clocks of Hell." In 2005, he released "Kaleidoscalp" and "Inbred Mountain," initially exclusive concert releases before becoming widely available online.
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Additional Projects
Apart from his solo career, Carroll has engaged in numerous other musical endeavors. These include groups like Cobra Strike, Science Faxtion, the Frankenstein Brothers, and the avant-garde metal band Cornbugs. He also played lead guitar for Guns N' Roses from 2000 to 2004 and collaborated with Japanese producer Shin Terai, actor Viggo Mortensen, rock drummer Brain, turntablist DJ Disk, and guitarist Lawson Rollins, among others.
Later Solo Work and Tours
2007 marked a significant year for Buckethead, starting with the release of a box set titled "In Search of The," consisting of 13 albums of original material. That year, he also released "Pepper's Ghost," "Acoustic Shards," "Decoding the Tomb of Bansheebot," and "Cyborg Slunks." His productivity peaked in 2015 with the release of 118 albums, averaging one every three days. These "Pikes" albums are shorter releases, typically spanning about 30 minutes. The final 2015 release, "Wishes," was offered for free for a limited time on Christmas Eve.
Buckethead's output decreased in 2016, releasing only 24 albums, although he resumed touring after a four-year break. In 2017, he released 30 albums and embarked on a US tour with Bryan Mantia on drums and Dan Monti on bass, resulting in his first live album, "Live from Bucketheadland." He continued solo tours in 2018 and 2019.
(Photo by C Flanigan/WireImage)
Movie Soundtracks
Throughout his career, Buckethead has contributed to various film soundtracks. His work includes scores for "Last Action Hero," "Mortal Kombat," "Johnny Mnemonic," "Falling," "Beverly Hills Ninja," "Saw II," "Ghosts of Mars," and others. He also played lead guitar on "Firebird" for the "Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie" soundtrack.
Influences
Buckethead incorporates a wide array of musical influences to create his unique sound, blending genres like funk, ambient, metal, blues, and avant-garde. His inspirations include Michael Jackson, Randy Rhoads, Mike Patton, Jimi Hendrix, Paul Gilbert, Jon Roth, Joe Satriani, and Eddie Van Halen. Beyond music, Carroll cites influences from martial artist Bruce Lee, author H. P. Lovecraft, and Japanese filmmaker Takashi Miike.
